The impact of psychological distress on the control of hypertension

Previous research has yielded inconsistent results in the control of essential hypertension. One explanation for response to drug or behavioral therapy may be the patient's psychological status upon entering treatment. Thirty-five borderline hypertensive males entered into a self-management program with biofeedback and cognitive restructuring components. The SCL-90 (Symptom Checklist-90) and the Holmes' Schedule of Recent Events were used to determine if responders and nonresponders could be distinguished prior to treatment on the basis of psychological status. Patients whose hypertension was resistant to treatment (diastolic greater than or equal to 90 mm Hg) reported significantly greater levels of psychological distress and greater life changes than did controlled patients. Pretreatment differences could not be explained by compliance or expectation of success. This study suggests that a relationship exists between psychological distress, life changes and the subsequent control of hypertension; this has implications for treatment selection and design for psychologically distressed individuals.     

The ecology of seed dispersal in two species of callitrichid primates (Saguinus mystax and Saguinus fuscicollis)

Data collected during a 12-month field investigation of mixed species troops of Saguinus mystax and Saguinus fuscicollis in the Amazon Basin of north-eastern Peru indicate that callitrichid primates play an important role in tropical forest seed dispersal. Moustached and saddle-back tamarins were observed to ingest seeds from a variety of tree and liana species and pass them unharmed. These seeds tended to be large and heavy, and passed through the tamarin digestive tract in one to three hours. Experimental plantings of defecated seeds yielded a germination success rate of 70%. The specific gravity of these seeds (weight/volume) was inversely correlated with passage time and apparently had an indirect influence on the distance that seeds were dispersed from the parent tree. In the case of three preferred fruiting species, Leonia glycycarpa, Pourouma sp., and Hippocrateaceae #283, the present distribution of adult trees closely resembled the pattern of the seed shadow created by Saguinus. Moustached and saddle-back tamarins appeared to be reliable and high-quality dispersal agents for a number of tree and liana species. In this role, they are likely to exert an important influence on the composition, distribution, and regeneration patterns of Amazonian rain forest.     

The complete amino acid sequence of ribosomal protein S8 fromThermus thermophilus

Protein S8 fromThermus thermophilus consists of 138 amino acids ofM, 15,840. Its primary structure was established using peptide sequences from two different digests. Protein S8 fromT. thermophilus shares a high percentage of identity with protein S8 fromThermus aquaticus. There are some consensus sequences between proteins S8 from eubacteria, archebacteria, chloroplasts, and cyanelles.